Vulcanizing india-rubber boots or shoes.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PAT'ENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

AlberiflFl'eld, fnuenzor I. I. m

QN m

A. D. FIELD.

VULGANIZING INDIA RUBBER BOOTS 0R SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1904.

no MODEL.

' No. 763,550. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

A. D. FIELD. VULGANIZING INDIA RUBBER BOOTS 0R SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.3

Wz'in asses:

No. reaseo.

I U ITED STATES Patented tune as, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D.'FIELD, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT;

\[ULCANIZING INDIA-RUBBER BOOTS OR SHOES- SPECIFIGA'IION forming partofLetters Patent No. 763,550, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed January 30,1904- Serial No. 191,305. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. FIELD, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Waterbury, New Haven county, and State of Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vulcanizing India-RubberBoots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of an improvement upon the method and apparatusdescribed in the Weeks and Russell patent, No. 233,386, dated October19, 1880.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation, partlyin section, of

an apparatus suitable for carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection of the boot ready for inserting in the mold. Fig. 4 is a detailof the cover detached. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 2.

When in the mold, the boot or shoe is surrounded by the mold members 1,2, 3, and 4. The side mold members 2 and 3 are provided with thesteam-chambers 2 and 3 to furnish the vulcanizing heat. The member 3 isstationary; but the member 2 is reciprocated upon the guideways 5 by thescrew 6, so as to be moved from the position shown in full lines to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The bottom mold member 1 isfitted to reciprocate vertically between'the guides 5 under the actionof the screw 7, by which screw when the mold is closed the upper surfacesurrounding the boot or shoe of the'member 1 is pressed against thelower surfaces of the members 2 and 3, so as to make a tight jointtherewith, as shown in'Fig. 1;

The mold member 4 contains the peripheral flange 8, the lower surface ofwhich closely fits the upper surface of the side members 2 and 3, so asto make a close joint therewith. It also contains thedownwardly-extending annular flange 9, of such form and size as to fitsnugly Within the the opening of the boot or shoe to be vulcanized. Inthe accompanying drawings it is shown as fitting within the opening atthe top of a boot-leg.

10 and 11 are the two members of a clamp whereby the material of theboot or shoe adjacent to the opening is clamped against the periphery ofthe flange 9, so as to make an air-tight closure of the top of the bootor shoe. An annular recess is made at the upper corner of the sidemembers 2 and 3 to receive this clamp. The clamp is preferably pivotedto the flange 8 at 12, and the extremities of its further ends areprovided with any suitable means whereby they can be drawn together andheld, so as to produce the requisite pressure of the material of theboot or shoe against the flange 9.

13 is a screw bearing against the top of the mold member or cover 4, sothat when the vulcanizing is in progress the flange 8 may be properlyheld against the top of the side members.

14 is a tube extending through the cover 4 and provided with aninwardlyopening spring-controlled valve 15. A compressedgas (preferablyair) supply pipe 16 is detachably connected with the tube 14.

The process may be described as follows: W hen the boot or shoe A hasbeen constructed ready for vulcanization, the cover 4 is fitted to itsopening and the clamp closed, so that the bootv or shoe thus coveredforms an airtight receptacle. Air or other suitable gas is then turnedonto the pipe 16 under such pressure as to inflate the boot or shoewithout substantially stretching its material. The Valve 15 will holdthis inflation so that the inflated boot or shoe may be handled to anyreasonable extent, as though upon a last. The covered boot or shoeinflated as above described is carried to the mold and placed therein,and the mold is closed and heated by steam turned into the chambers 3and 4. A higher pressure of air or gas is also after the shoe or boot isin the mold admitted through the tube 14, so as to produce any degree ofpressure of the walls of the boot or shoe against the inner surfaces ofthe mold that may be desired for efficient vulcanization. The operatorcan regulate the relationship between this pressure and the steam heatin the chambers 3 and 4 from time to time to secure the best results.

The portion of the material which is clamped against the flange 9 may beeither the edge of the boot or shoe itself or the margin of waste thesame, then closing the opening of the same, then inflating the same withsubstantially non- I 5 stretching pressure, thereafter placing the samein a mold, then increasing the pressure of inflation and vulcanizing thesame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing 20 wltnesses.

ALBERT 1). FIELD.

Witnesses:

NATHL. R. BRONSON, CLARA L. DODGE.

